Jean Lartéguy (5 September 1920 in

Maisons-Alfort Maisons-Alfort () is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Maisons-Alfort is famous as the location of the National Veterinary School of Alfort. The Fort de Charenton, constructed betwe ...

– 23 February 2011) was the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

of Jean Pierre Lucien Osty, a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

writer, journalist, and former soldier. Larteguy is credited with first envisioning the "

ticking time bomb "Ticking Time Bomb" is a single by the industrial hip-hop group Tackhead, released in March 1989 on World Records. Formats and track listing All songs written by Keith LeBlanc, Skip McDonald, Adrian Sherwood and Doug Wimbish ;UK 12" single (WR ...

" scenario of torture in his 1960 novel ''

Les centurions A centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army. Centurion may also refer to: Places * Centurion, South Africa ** Centurion (Gautrain station) * Centurion Bank, a submerged atoll southeast of Chagos Archipelago * Centuriones, a histo ...

''.

Biography

Lartéguy was born into what he called "one of those families of poor mountain peasants whose names are found inscribed on

war memorials A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

, but not in history books" in

Val-de-Marne Val-de-Marne (, "Vale of the Marne") is a department of France located in the Île-de-France region. Named after the river Marne, it is situated in the Grand Paris metropolis to the southeast of the City of Paris. In 2019, Val-de-Marne had a pop ...

. Both his father and uncle had served in the First World War. With his country conquered by the Germans, Lartéguy escaped from France into Spain in March 1942.. He remained there for nine months and spent time in a

Francoist Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spani ...

jail before joining the

Free French Forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...

as an officer in the 1st Commando Group (''1er groupe de commandos''). During the war, he fought in Italy;

Vosges The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single ...

and

Belfort Belfort (; archaic german: Beffert/Beffort) is a city in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Northeastern France, situated between Lyon and Strasbourg, approximately from the France–Switzerland border. It is the prefecture of the Territo ...

, France; and Germany. He remained on active duty for seven years until becoming a captain in the reserves in order to enter the field of journalism. Lartéguy received numerous military awards, including the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

, the

Croix de guerre 1939-1945 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

, and the Croix de guerre T.O.E. After his military service, Lartéguy worked as a war correspondent, particularly for the magazine ''

Paris Match ''Paris Match'' () is a French-language weekly news magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. History and profile A sports news magazine, ''Match l'intran'' (a play on ''L'Intransigeant' ...

''. He covered conflicts in

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

The Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy L ...

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, and

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

. In pursuit of a story at the start of the Korean War, Lartéguy volunteered for the French Battalion and was wounded by an enemy hand grenade during the

Battle of Heartbreak Ridge The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge (; french: Bataille de Crèvecœur), also known as the Battle of Wendengli (), was a month-long battle in the Korean War which took place between September 13th and October 15th, 1951. After withdrawing from Blood ...

. In Latin America, he reported on various revolutions and insurgencies, and in 1967 encountered

Che Guevara Ernesto Che Guevara (; 14 June 1928The date of birth recorded on /upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Ernesto_Guevara_Acta_de_Nacimiento.jpg his birth certificatewas 14 June 1928, although one tertiary source, (Julia Constenla, quoted ...

shortly before his capture and execution. In the July 1967 issue of Paris Match, Lartéguy wrote a major article entitled "''Les Guerilleros''", where he wrote: "At a time when Cuban revolutionaries want to create Vietnams all over the world, the Americans run the risk of finding their own Algeria in Latin America." In 1955, he received the

Albert Londres Prize The Albert Londres Prize is the highest French journalism award, named in honor of journalist Albert Londres. Created in 1932, it was first awarded in 1933 and is considered the French equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. Three laureates are awarded ...

for journalism.

Writing

His experiences as a soldier and war correspondent influenced his writing. Some of the most emphasized topics in his writing are

decolonization Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on separatism, in ...

nationalism Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...

, the expansion of

communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

, the state of post-war French society, and the unglamorous nature of war. His novel ''Les chimères noires'' evokes the role played by

Roger Trinquier Roger Trinquier (20 March 1908 – 11 January 1986) was a French Army officer during World War II, the First Indochina War and the Algerian War, serving mainly in airborne and special forces units. He was also a counter-insurgency theorist, mainl ...

during the

Katanga Crisis The Congo Crisis (french: Crise congolaise, link=no) was a period of political upheaval and conflict between 1960 and 1965 in the Republic of the Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The crisis began almost immediately after ...

. Published in 1963 it portrays vividly the chaos of civil war in the Congo after the murder of

Patrice Lumumba Patrice Émery Lumumba (; 2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June u ...

and the conflict between

Moise Tshombe Moise is a given name and surname, with differing spellings in its French and Romanian origins, both of which originate from the name Moses: Moïse is the French spelling of Moses, while Moise is the Romanian spelling. As a surname, Moisè and Mo ...

's secessionist government and the

United Nations Forces Peacekeeping comprises activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed warfare. Within the United N ...

. The novel is very critical of Belgian colonialism and is also a reliable expression of European views of Central Africa after independence. Several of his book titles were translated into English, with the most successful being his

Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...

series: ''The Centurions'' and ''The Praetorians''. The former was adapted into a major motion picture in 1966, entitled ''

Lost Command ''Lost Command'' (aka ''Les Centurions'') is a 1966 American war film directed and produced by Mark Robson and starring Anthony Quinn, Alain Delon, George Segal, Michèle Morgan, Maurice Ronet and Claudia Cardinale. It is based on the best-sel ...

'' and starred

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

. Both have been interpreted as '' romans à clef'' glamorizing Vietnam veterans deeply engaged in Algerian politics, such as

Marcel Bigeard Marcel Bigeard (February 14, 1916 – June 18, 2010), personal radio call-sign "Bruno", was a French military officer and politician who fought in World War II, the First Indochina War and the Algerian War. He was one of the commanders in the Ba ...

and

Jacques Massu Jacques Émile Massu (; 5 May 1908 – 26 October 2002) was a French general who fought in World War II, the First Indochina War, the Algerian War and the Suez crisis. He led French troops in the Battle of Algiers, first supporting and later ...

. Also, with his novel ''The Centurions'', Lartéguy is credited with being the first to envision the '

' scenario, which has regained relevance in recent debates on the use of torture in a

counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or el ...

role. His novels have been read by military professionals, including General

David Petraeus David Howell Petraeus (; born November 7, 1952) is a retired United States Army general and public official. He served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from September 6, 2011, until his resignation on November 9, 2012. Prior to h ...

, in the new context of modern terrorism.

Bibliography

*''La ville étranglée'' (1955) *''Les âmes errantes'' (1956) *''La tragédie du Maroc interdit'' (1957) *''Les dieux meurent en Algérie'' (1960) *''Les baladins de la Margeride'' (1962) *''Visa pour l'Iran'' (1962) *''Les mercenaires'' (1963) (Originally published as ''Du sang sur les collines'', without success, reprinted with the new title after the success of ''Les centurions'') *''Les chimères noires'' (1963), translated into English as ''The Hounds of Hell'' *Guerre d'Algérie, two volumes #''Les centurions'' (1963), translated into English as '' The Centurions'', adapted into film as ''

'' #''Les prétoriens'' (1964), translated into English as ''The Praetorians'' *''Le mal jaune'' (1965), translated into English as ''Yellow Fever'', (Reprint of two previously published titles: ''La ville étranglée'' and ''Les âmes errantes'') *''Un million de dollars le Viet'' (1965) *''Sauveterre'' (1966), translated into English *''Les guérilleros'' (1967) *''Les chimères noires'' (1967) *''Les tambours de bronze'' (1969), translated into English as ''The Bronze Drums'' *''Ces voix qui nous viennent de la mer'' (1969) *''Tout homme est une guerre civile'', two volumes #''Le prêtre astronome'' (1969) #''Les libertadors'' (1970) *''Lettre ouverte aux bonnes femmes'' (1972) *''Les Rois mendiants'' (1975) +++ "Adieu à Saigon " (1976) *''Enquête sur un crucifié'' (1976) *''Tout l'or du diable'' (1976) *''Les rois mendiants'' (1977) *''Les naufragés du soleil'', three volumes #''Le gaur de la rivière noire'' (1978) #''Le cheval de feu'' (1980) #''Le baron céleste'' (1982) *''Dieu, l'or et le sang'' (1980) *''Le commandant du nord'' (1982) *''Marco Polo espion de Venise'' (1984) *''Soldats perdus et fous de Dieu, Indochine 1954-1955'' (1986) *''L'or de Baal'' (1987) *''Tahiti'' (1988) *''Le Roi noir'', (1991) *''Mourir pour Jérusalem'' (1995), (non-fiction)

References

* Robert Kaplan
"Rereading Vietnam"
''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'', 24 August 2007. *

''Modern Warfare: A French View of Counterinsurgency''
Combined Arms Research Library,

U.S. Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

, January 1985. *David O'Connell
"Jean Lartéguy: A Popular Phenomenon"
''The French Review'', Vol. XLV, No. 6, May 1972. *

Ralph Peters Ralph Peters (born April 19, 1952) is a retired United States Army lieutenant colonel and author. In addition to his non-fiction books, he has published eight novels under the pen name Owen Parry of which ''Honor's Kingdom'' received the Hammet ...

"Dream Warrior: Our Enemies Fight for Fantasies, not Freedom"
''

Armed Forces Journal ''Armed Forces Journal'' (''AFJ'') was a publication for American military officers and leaders in government and industry. Created in 1863 as a weekly newspaper, ''AFJ'' was published under various names by various owners in various formats for ...

'', May 2007.

External links

*FNCV site http://www.fncv.com/biblio/grand_combattant/larteguy-jean/index_va.html *English commentary on Lartéguy's books http://www.geocities.ws/jean_larteguy/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Larteguy, Jean 1920 births 2011 deaths People from Maisons-Alfort 20th-century French journalists Counterinsurgency theorists Counterterrorism theorists French soldiers French military writers 20th-century French novelists 21st-century French novelists Albert Londres Prize recipients French military personnel of World War II Recipients of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Recipients of the Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures Paris Match writers French male novelists 20th-century French male writers 21st-century French male writers French male non-fiction writers French expatriates in South Korea